The Missing
by iheartGibbs
Summary: Tony finds himself alone in the cold with no memory of how he got there. What happened to him? Will he be able to recover his memory in time to rescue Gibbs?    Story is complete. Will post one chapter per day.
1. Prologue

PROLOGUE:

Pain forced and wound its way across every nerve as he slowly became aware of his surroundings. It was snowing. He hadn't yet opened his eyes, but he could feel the moisture tickling his nearly numb skin. How long had he been…lying…here? He was definitely flat on his back, his face exposed. He wiggled his nose, yet nothing happened. Frozen? Was it even possible? He had to get up. To lie here meant certain death, and he was far too strong, stubborn and proud to succumb to the elements. It would take much more than a little cold to take out Anthony DiNozzo.

He cried out in agony as he forced himself to move. A few inches were all he managed on his first attempt. He was sore. Every pore and muscle ached, reminding him of how he felt after a particularly grueling football game back at Ohio State, only somehow different. Amplified…and harsher. Still, he pressed on, determined to secure his own safety.

The wind howled, each gust slicing him open anew. He wished for a fire, a blanket, a hot shower…he tortured himself for the next several minutes, thinking of all the wonderful warm things he would find upon his return home. He convinced himself it was motivation, yet at his own thoughts he had begun to tremble.

Just a little further. He could see lights ahead, and hoped he would find someone who could take him back to headquarters. Where was he? How had he gotten here? Surely it was related to a case. Gibbs would be worried about him. He knew he had to get back to NCIS.

Gibbs…why did he get this feeling in his gut that something had happened to Gibbs? Why couldn't he remember? He swore at himself and pushed even faster. His breath, now coming faster and heavier, was painting the surrounding air white.

He made it to the edge of the tree line, his pant leg snagging on a low branch. He stumbled free onto the road, and was nearly hit by a passing car. The loud burst of the car's horn was the only response he received. He waved his arms, but the car kept moving. Defeated, Tony began walking down the road toward what he assumed was the city.


	2. Chapter 1

"McGee-ee!" Abby drew out the sound of his name, her exasperation showing through.

"I'm trying, Abby," Tim snapped back. "If you think you can do better, take over."

Tim stepped away from the keyboard, brushing the side of the desk in his hasty retreat. Abby stared at him, her eyes full of unexplainable emotion.

Ziva stepped forward and gently rubbed Tim's shoulders.

"McGee, you are doing fine. I'm sure Abby was only overreacting to the situation, right?"

Tears spilled down Abby's cheeks. Her emotions ran the gamut from desperation to worry to guilt for the way she was treating her coworker and friend.

"I'm sorry, Timmy," Abby said, pulling him into a fierce hug and refusing to release him.

"I'm the one that should be sorry. I shouldn't have bitten your head off just now," Tim rubbed her back, both of them taking comfort from their shared embrace.

"I am sorry to interrupt, but do you think…" Ziva prompted, pulling Tim by the arm and steering him back to the keyboard.

"Oh my gosh!" Abby exclaimed. "Did you think of something else to check?"

Ziva's crestfallen face answered her question more than words ever could. "Surely there is something we have not tried."

"Obviously, dear girl, or we would have found them by now," Ducky interjected, startling the others who hadn't heard him enter Abby's lab.

"Director Vance has authorized the use of MTAC, if we get a lead," Jimmy added.

"It's just so hopeless," Abby said with a sigh. "We've tried everything related to the case, and there is no possible way it's related."

"So it is something unrelated to the case," Ziva said, in a no-nonsense tone.

"Right," Tim continued flatly, returning to the keyboard. "But we've researched everyone we can come up with who might have a grudge against Tony or Gibbs, and come up with nothing. And that's a long list."

"We need to take turns sleeping; conserve our strength," Ziva informed them.

"Who could sleep at a time like this?" Abby lamented.

"We should try," Tim agreed. "None of us has really slept in days."

"You can use my futon," Abby offered softly. "I just don't think I can…" her voice trailed off, her breath catching with another sob.

"Abigail," Ducky pulled her aside, his tone both firm and gentle, "you have nodded off at least six times that I have noticed. You'll be of no use to Jethro or Anthony if you collapse from exhaustion."

"I keep having nightmares, Ducky," Abby admitted. "All these horrible things are happening to Gibbs and Tony and I'm supposed to help, but I can't. It's like I'm not even a part of the situation…like I have no power whatsoever…like they are already lost to me."

"There, there," Ducky said, giving her a soft kiss on her cheek, much as Gibbs might in another situation. "We will find them. You cannot lose hope, dear."

"Come on!" Vance barked, barely entering the room long enough to get the words out.

The others stared at one another, and then hurried to catch the elevator. The Director had obviously gotten a lead and they were ready to follow it up.

"What is it?" Tim asked, once they were all inside the elevator.

"We found DiNozzo," Vance explained.

***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS*** NCIS***

"We need to get him to the hospital," Ducky stated, as they ushered Tony into Autopsy.

"No…Gibbs…don't hospital…need to help Gibbs," Tony muttered almost imperceptibly, in protest.

"Ducky, do what you can to stabilize him so we can get some information, then we'll get him to a hospital as soon as we can after that," Vance ordered.

"But Director, I really must insist…" Ducky continued.

"Later," Vance answered sternly. He was as concerned about DiNozzo as the others, but he was more worried about why the agent had resurfaced without Gibbs. "The rest of you, get out of here for now. Let Dr. Mallard and Mr. Palmer see to Tony's immediate needs first, then we'll get some answers."

"But…" Abby began.

Ziva, Tim and Abby reluctantly make their way back to the squad room and gathered around Tony's desk.

"I thought he was dead," Abby whispered. "He was just lying there…so still, his leg bent so awkwardly behind him."

"Yeah," Tim added. "I did, too. I can't believe he made it so far in his condition."

"He was determined," Ziva replied. "We should be proud of him."

"I am," Abby admitted through her tears, "but how could he just leave Gibbs behind?"

"We do not know that is what happened, Abby," Ziva answered. "All we know for certain is that Tony is here, safely, and that Gibbs is not…yet."

"I wonder how far he walked. I mean, to collapse two-hundred feet from the gates of the Navy Yard is just…" Tim continued.

"Tony," Abby answered. "It's just like Tony to get away and be stubborn enough to get all the way back to us."

The three fell into a less than comfortable silence as their tired minds searched for answers desperately needed. What exactly had happened to Tony? His injuries were so extensive; the thought of what had been inflicted was enough to torture each of them. Where was Gibbs? Who was behind all this?

They sprang to their feet, energy renewed as the elevator dinged and Vance stepped out. Ziva and Tim began gathering their gear and grabbing their coats.

"Where do you think you're going?" Vance asked.

"Gibbs…" Tim began.

"Surely you have gotten enough information from Tony…" Ziva began, speaking at the same time as Tim.

Vance shook his head. "The only place we're going tonight is home to get some sleep."

"But Director, we…" Abby interjected.

"Tony doesn't remember," Vance answered softly. "He is very badly injured and needs a hospital as soon as possible. I'm afraid there is nothing he can tell us right now."

"Nothing at all?" Ziva asked. "What about where he has been or who took him?"

"Or if he was even being held with Gibbs?" Tim queried.

"Nothing," Vance answered. "Ducky said he's been pumped full of drugs. His short term memory is French fried."

"Now you sound like Tony," Abby said with the hint of a smile.

"Go home and sleep. Come back tomorrow morning ready to work," Vance said. "And before you argue, that is a direct order. If you do not comply, your employment will be terminated on the spot."

"You wouldn't," Abby protested.

"Don't test me, Ms. Scuito," Vance's tone ended all debate. "Now let's get you home. I'm having agents from Lewis' team to drive you. None of you should be operating a motor vehicle as exhausted as you are. Go. Now!" Vance practically pushed them toward the elevator, doing his best to remain firm. He certainly understood the impulse to be here until the situation was resolved, but unfortunately working around the clock could be impractical and dangerous.


	3. Chapter 2

_The snow piled deeper and deeper around him. He was so cold – this was an otherworldly cold. He rode along, his tauntaun faltering from time to time despite its being accustomed to the harsh climate of the ice planet, Hoth. He knew the wampa was coming, before he even felt the swipe of the creature's powerful claw._

_He awoke to find himself hanging from his feet inside the wampa's lair. He already knew how it would end. He would use the force to get his light saber, then free himself. And he wouldn't freeze either. Tim would be there. He'd ride in, slice open the dead tauntaun, clean out the innards and pull the both of them inside. Tim would save the day, Han Solo style. _

_Now he knew for certain he was dreaming. Because he should be Han Solo. Tim was definitely more like Luke Skywalker. Would that make Ziva Princess Leia?_ The incongruity of such an idea was enough to make him stir in his medically-induced slumber.

"How is he, Doctor," Abby asked as she entered Tony's hospital room. "Is he waking up?" she asked, noticing Tony mumbling, his head moving back and forth.

"Ah," Doctor Murphy said, taking in the sight of Abby, Ducky and Director Vance filing into the room. He focused on Director Vance and began to speak. "Mr. DiNozzo has…"

"Agent DiNozzo, doctor," Vance corrected automatically, just as Gibbs might have, had he been there.

"Of course, no disrespect intended," the doctor continued. "As you know, the injuries sustained are quite severe. In addition to the hypothermia, he suffered multiple stabs and lacerations, several blows, both with fists and with some sort of blunt instrument, some minor burns…" He trailed off, not wanting to give too much detail in front of Abby. He gave her a look out of his peripheral vision, noting that she seemed focused solely on Agent DiNozzo rather than on what he was saying. "Agent DiNozzo was definitely tortured. The wounds were placed in order to cause as much pain as possible without taking his life. Toxicology also reported a significant amount of psychotropic drugs in his system, most likely used for interrogation purposes, and…"

"And also the most likely reason Anthony cannot remember precisely what transpired," Ducky filled in.

"Exactly. I know you had already observed the damage done to him before you brought him in and, in fact, your ministrations most likely kept him alive. This young man must have quite a bit of steel to have made it as far as he did in his condition. The exposure to the weather alone could have killed him."

"Agent DiNozzo is one of the best," Vance added.

"I'll keep you apprised of any changes in his condition," the doctor continued. "Now, more than anything, he needs rest so he can heal, both mentally and physically. We need to limit his number of visitors – one at a time and for no more than twenty minutes."

"What if someone just sits with him and doesn't disturb him?" Abby interjected. "I mean, would that be okay? He seems so alone and he's been hurt and his father isn't available and…"

"That would be fine, Ms. Scuito, but please endeavor not to do anything to disturb him. Due to the nature of what has happened, he will be very anxious to remember details that his brain is currently keeping from him. Be sure no one puts pressure on him in any way to remember; it could do more harm than good," the doctor warned not only Abby, but the others as well.

"But he will remember?" Abby asked. The left side of her lower lip disappeared as she pulled it between her teeth, as she often did when she was worried.

"We honestly don't know," the doctor answered with a sigh. "It's possible he could wake up and remember everything. It is just as likely he will never be able to recall everything. Most likely he'll remember bits and pieces. The effects these kinds of drugs have on the mind are very unpredictable, and differ from case to case. There is no way we can know how things will play out."

"We understand, doctor," Vance replied, taking control of the situation. He turned to the others.

"Abby," Vance said and then sighed at her expression. He needed her working this case, but it was obvious to everyone in the room that she didn't want to leave. "Stay with Tony until he's released. But if he isn't awake by the time Ziva and Tim get back from gathering evidence, I need you to hightail it to the lab."

"Of course, of course! I need to find Gibbs. I just…can't leave Tony when there's nothing I can do right now anyway!" Abby assured, giving Vance a sideways hug. "Thanks so much; you won't regret it!"

"Please, Abby," Ducky admonished. "Keep your voice down, dear."

Abby turned toward Tony and gave him an apologetic look, then turned the same look on the doctor. "I'm so sorry. It won't happen again."

"Call a nurse when he awakens," the doctor instructed as he took his leave.

"Yes, sir," Abby called after him.

***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS*** NCIS***

"I can't believe how much blood there is," Tim said, for about the thirtieth time.

"There is certainly no problem discovering the path Tony took from where he was left to the road," Ziva agreed.

The two had been sent that morning to photograph the site where Tony had awakened, search for clues and await further information. The call they had received from Vance just after they had found the blood trail left them feeling grim and less than optimistic. Apparently Tony had no memory of the events that led to him awakening in this bleak, wooded location, barely alive. Subsequently, they were no closer to knowing who was behind the abduction or where they could find Gibbs.

"Tire tracks," Tim confirmed, as he snapped photographs. "He was definitely dumped."

"There may be a lot of blood, McGee, but not enough for his torture to have happened here," Ziva scolded.

"I knew that," Tim defended, "but now we have proof."

"Unless some of this blood or some of these clothing fragments do not belong to Tony, I do not think we're any closer to knowing where to find Gibbs," Ziva complained.

"I'm sure Abby will find something."

"She is certainly driven to do so," Ziva remarked.

"I think we all are," Tim reminded, walking the perimeter one final time in order not to miss anything that could potentially be a clue. "Surely some of this will lead us back to Gibbs," he added hopefully.

"Abby won't be able to get much from photographs of tire tracks in snow as deep as this, McGee. Do not get your hopes up."

Tim sighed and took a few more shots of the surrounding landscape, not wanting Ziva to see how much her negativity was getting to him. He knew she would say she was being realistic rather than pessimistic, but at this point he had trouble seeing the difference. They had to get a break some time.

"I cannot believe that Tony remembers nothing," Ziva said with frustration, running her hand over the knit cap that covered her hair, which she had pulled back into a tight ponytail.

Tim pulled his coat tighter around him. Although it was lined, it was a small barrier against the biting wind. "Let's get this stuff back before we freeze."

***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS*** NCIS***

Blood pooled on the floor at his feet, along with strands of his own silver hair. More blood dripped from Gibbs' body, which had already been pushed beyond what a man should bear. Spittle, not his own, dribbled down his face and chest and mixed with his own drool, which he could no longer control. Urine and feces soiled what remained of his clothes and ran down the lower half of his body. The moisture would make the electricity even more painful, or so his torturer kept telling him.

He refused to acknowledge any pain or give voice to anything other than concern for the one who was now missing. What had they done with him? Gibbs knew there is no way he would have given them any information, even if he could have, yet for some reason they had moved him…or worse, killed him. Gibbs gathered all the energy he could from his exhausted body and spoke. His voice crackled, and sounded like a cross between a growl and a whimper. He whispered one word: "Tony."


	4. Chapter 3

"How ya feeling?" Abby asked, nervously smoothing Tony's blankets and avoiding making eye contact with him.

"I've been better," Tony answered. He shifted to allow himself to see her better and winced at the pain that such a slight movement caused.

"I can't even imagine," Abby said softly, finally bringing her eyes to meet Tony's.

"Abs, I wish I could help, but I genuinely do not remember anything at all," Tony apologized.

"Tony!" Abby whispered loudly, hoping no one had overheard. "I didn't even ask you that. Please don't worry about it, Tony. We'll find Gibbs and everything will work out. The doctor says you can't stress or you may never remember."

"Do me a favor?" Tony asked conspiratorially.

Abby, catching his tone, looked around as if she were making sure the coast is clear. "Anything," she whispered.

"Spring me from this prison so I can help find Gibbs."

"Tony, you have to rest. Your body was pushed to the limit…beyond the limit. You have to listen to the doctors," Abby said quickly, her hands automatically moving to his arms as if to help restrain him if she had to.

"Then do you think you can arrange for something to wear that isn't open in the back," Tony scowled.

Abby giggled. "I thought you were proud of your backside, Tony. Besides, if you stay in bed and rest, no one will be able to see you anyway. Right?"

"Not funny, Abs," he grumbled. He tugged on the corner of the backless hospital gown and retucked it beneath his thigh.

Abby watched him, smiling. Then as she noticed the pain expressed on his face at such a simple movement, her smile changed to a look of concern.

"Tony, I just can't believe what they did to you," she said, her eyes now wet with unshed tears.

"I'm a DiNozzo. I'm a survivor. I'll bounce back, Abs," Tony assured her, choosing to hide his discomfort around a smile just for her.

"I know you will, because I don't know what I would do without you," Abby continued.

"I can't believe I don't remember a bit of it: not who had me or if Gibbs was there or anything. I need to find him, Abs. He's always been there for me, and if the situation were reversed he would [i]force[/i] himself to remember just to save me. And I am sitting here doing nothing to help him."

"Tony, don't say that. Gibbs knows you'd do anything for him. We all would. And you can't beat yourself up about it," Abby admonished.

"Looks like someone else already did a good job of that," Tim said, as he and Ziva entered the room.

"McGee!" Abby jumped up and ran to them. "Got anything for me?"

"We gathered quite a bit of evidence from the place where Tony was dumped," Tim told her.

"Unfortunately, with the exception of what appears to be Tony's blood, I doubt anything we found will lead to much," Ziva informed them, giving Tony an apologetic look.

"Don't say that, Ziva," Abby admonished. She crossed to the other woman and looked her in the eye. "Never underestimate the power of forensics or the determination of a Scuito. Especially when Gibbs' life could be on the line."

"I believe that," Tony added. "You better get back to the lab, Abby."

"I'll be back later, Tony! Get lots of rest and don't try to remember anything!" Abby breezed out of the room, ready to take on the world both to save Gibbs and to avenge Tony.

Once she had cleared out, Tony turned puppy dog eyes to Tim. "Hey man."

"Tony…" Tim replied, knowing the senior field agent wanted something, but leery of finding out exactly what it was.

"Relax, McSkeptical, I'm not asking you to break any laws or compromise your personal integrity."

"Then what is it that you want?" Ziva asked.

"I need to get out of here and back to NCIS," Tony explained.

"No!" Tim and Ziva chorused.

"Tony, you need time to recover," Tim began, "so you can be at a hundred percent when we find Gibbs and it's time to rescue him."

"Get real, Probie; it's going to take a lot longer than that for me to properly heal. There is no reason why I can't sit on my butt at NCIS the same as here. I'm not exactly planning to run a marathon. I just think it would be good to be there at headquarters where you're working the case…just in case something sparks my memory."

"That is actually a good idea," Ziva agreed. "I will see if I can find your doctor and will tell him you are leaving."

"Thank you, Ziva," Tony said, giving her an appreciative smile.

She left the room, ready to plead his case to anyone who might stand in their way. When she returned, the doctor in tow, she gave Tony and Tim a triumphant smile.

"Agent DiNozzo," the doctor gave him a grave look, "while I understand your wish to leave, I really must advise against it."

"I appreciate it, doc, but there's nothing you can do for me here that we can't handle back at NCIS," Tony said. "I'll sign whatever I need to saying I'm leaving against your advice."

"Yes, you will," the doctor agreed, "but I still think you're pushing yourself too far too fast."

"Doctor Murphy," Tim interrupted, "we are definitely taking Tony with us when we leave. Any instructions or medications that you can give to make the situation better will be greatly appreciated, but advice to the contrary will not change our course of action."

The doctor smiled at the three of them, conceding the point. He gave Tony several prescriptions for medications, as well as a two page list of instructions for proper recuperation, including almost complete bed rest.

"Thanks, doc," Tony said. He then swiveled on the bed and prepared to rise, doing his best to hide the anguish that naturally colored his face at the amount of pain the act elicited. He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth as Tim helped him stand. "Thanks, McWalkingStick."

"No problem, Tony," Tim replied, a smile in his voice.

"Tony, I think I may upgrade you to a five," Ziva said, smirking at the sight of his bare backside in the hospital gown.

"Funny, Zee-vah," Tony said. "If you wanted a glimpse of me naked, all you had to do was ask."

"I will keep that in mind, Tony," Ziva replied, rolling her eyes. He was still DiNozzo – some things never change.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

_We wore tank tops, wet with sweat, and prison issue pants. Chains held us, hanging above vats of water. The crowd gathered, cheering as they watched the proceedings._

_Gibbs looked at me, daring to be serious for just a moment. "Tango, you got any family?" he asked._

"_Yeah, you?"_

"_Going steady with an alimony check, that's about it," he answered._

_A man with an accent stepped closer, and began to address us, as the others watched with delight._

"_First, Mr. Cash," he said, his voice sounding like a five-year-old on Christmas morning. Well, with that sort of excitement. No child could come close to sounding so menacing._

_I watched as they slowly lowered him into the water. The instant the electrified water touched the chains that bound him, he began to convulse with pain as high voltage ran through his body._

_I screamed, "Cash! Cash!"_

_Before I knew it, it was my turn. All thoughts of how horrified I was at what they had done to Gibbs disappeared as I felt the electricity course through me. Despite the excruciating agony, I could hear Gibbs' voice – not a shout, as mine had been, but heartfelt – ragged and nearly breathless with the pain he had just endured._

"_Tango."_

"Tony are you okay?" Jimmy asked, as Tony started awake in his makeshift bed in autopsy.

"Just a dream," Tony whispered as he regained knowledge of his whereabouts. "I was with Gibbs. We were Tango and Cash."

"You were what?" Jimmy asked, a mask of confusion clouding his features.

"Tango and Cash," Ducky filled in, "was an action film from the late 1980s in which two cops were imprisoned. They were actually framed and broke out of prison in order to clear their names. Anyway, that's beside the point. They were first tortured by a mob of prisoners they had helped prosecute. Tony, are you saying the people that took you and Gibbs were from a previous case?"

"I don't know, Ducky. It was a dream. I doubt I can put too much stock in it. Yesterday I dreamed I was Luke Skywalker," Tony explained.

"You watch too many movies, Tony," Ducky admonished.

"Probably."

***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS*** NCIS***

Fingers danced across keys as Abby input search information into databases, processed samples, enhanced pictures and anything else she could think of to do with the evidence Tim and Ziva had gathered from the scene.

"Something has to work," Abby said, the determination lighting her eyes seeming almost like obsession.

"We will find him," Ziva agreed with a confidence she didn't quite feel. She knew how important finding Gibbs was and didn't want to dash Abby's hopes again.

"We have to get a lead soon," Tim agreed.

"Was Tony wearing cosmetics?" Ziva asked. She had leaned forward to examine the clothes Tony had been wearing when they found him.

"The pink powder? I know," Abby explained. "I have no idea. The major is working overtime. Hopefully we'll have an answer soon."

"Maybe they were being held backstage at a glam concert?" Tim suggested.

"Or maybe they were kidnapped by drag queens?" Abby followed suit.

Ducky's voice sounded over the intercom at Abby's desk, informing them that Tony had awakened. Tim and Ziva headed down to autopsy, leaving Abby to her own musings.

"Killer clowns from outer space?" she asked Bert. She paused long enough for a response. She got none.

***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS*** NCIS***

"Tony, how are you feeling?" Ziva asked, as she and Tim joined the others in autopsy.

"Just dandy," he replied sarcastically. "Gibbs is missing, I probably know where he is, but I can't remember anything."

"Can you tell us the last thing you do remember? Just sort of walk us through the sequence of events," Tim prompted.

"We were working the Sullivan case. Gibbs and I were on our way to interview McKinley, but I don't remember getting there. I'm thinking we stopped at the coffee shop, because I can distinctly remember…"

"Coffee shop!" Tim and Ziva said simultaneously.

Watching them leave, Tony hated being injured and left behind. "Terrific," he grumbled.

"Don't worry, Anthony," Ducky consoled him, "Ziva and Tim are quite experienced now. I'm sure they will cover everything you could if you were there."

"I know, Ducky, but I don't have to like it."

"Like it or lump it," Jimmy chimed in. At the astounded expressions he received in response, he quickly jumped to explain himself. "That's what my mom always says."

"I'm sure he knows what the saying means, Jimmy, it was just a bit insensitive to use it now. It's not as if Anthony has worked _himself _into a no-win situation," Ducky chided.

"No, I wasn't saying it was his fault, but he is here and there's nothing he can do about it. That's all I meant," Jimmy defended.

Tony tried his best to block out the voices as he focused on the fuzzy mess that was his memory. He had to remember. Gibbs was counting on him. He was as certain of that as he was that Gibbs would find him if he were the one in the other situation. He _had_ to remember.

From what felt like a great distance, he heard more conversation between Ducky and Jimmy, but he couldn't seem to focus on what they were saying.

He was staring off into space when his mind presented him with a blurry, fragment of a memory. He and Gibbs were tied up…in a warehouse of some kind. Some men were asking them questions. "Where is she?" "I know you know where she is, and you're going to tell me…or else." When he realized it was an actual memory and not a vision or dream, he looked around, but Ducky and Jimmy had left the room.

Tony began to shift uncomfortably on his bed. He had to get on his feet. He may not be in tip-top shape, but he had to tell someone before he forgot again. Surely Ducky or Vance would be upstairs. Abby! That's where he would go. He made his way slowly and painstakingly toward the elevator.

***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS*** NCIS***

Gibbs struggled to hold his head upright. He was now, thankfully, sitting rather than suspended, as he had been earlier. He was strapped to a chair in a seated position, enduring yet another round of interrogation. He knew the torture would be next. They alternated between the two: torture then interrogation then torture then interrogation. He doubted he would survive more torture. A steely disposition, determination and will can only take a man so far.

"She is my wife, Agent Gibbs. Sam is my son. I deserve to know where they are. I know that you know," Saul continued his rant.

Saul Groce was a former marine convicted of attempting to murder his wife and baby boy eleven years ago. Gibbs hadn't been involved in that case, and had nothing to do with Groce's incarceration. He did, however, assist in getting his wife, Tammy, and their son into protective custody for a time three years ago, after a series of threats had them running scared. The boy, Sam, had touched his heart. The pair didn't qualify for witness protection, so Gibbs had helped them relocate and establish new identities. He was one of the few people in the world who knew how to contact them. He would, however, never put them in jeopardy. He'd allow these men to kill him first.

Gibbs was worried about Tony on a primal, almost cellular level. Tony hadn't been targeted by these men; he had simply been with Gibbs when they had apprehended him. Watching him bear the brunt of a psychotic man's torment, knowing Tony was only there because of him, was almost enough to break him. But now Tony was gone. Released? Left to die, more likely.

Gibbs resolved not to give any outward sign or reaction to their interrogation techniques, but the man's next words nearly killed him.

"It really doesn't matter if you talk," Saul taunted. "That's why we let Agent DiNozzo loose. He'll find out. If he doesn't, we'll kill you."

"He…won't…help you," Gibbs whispered raggedly.

"You underestimate how much you mean to him, I think," Saul continued to cut him with his words.

He was right, Gibbs knew. Tony would do anything to free him from these men, up to and including locating information that would be unavailable to anyone else. As much as it made him feel good to know, the last thing he wanted was for Tammy and Sam to pay the price for Tony's loyalty.


	6. Chapter 5

"I was wondering if I would be hearing from you," Tom Bailey, manager of the local coffee shop Gibbs frequented, answered Ziva's inquiry. "Agent Gibbs comes here often, as do many of the other NCIS agents. When we saw the van stop and Agents Gibbs and the other guy get inside, it looked like they were going willingly. I didn't think much of it at first, until time went by and Gibbs didn't come back in. I had already thought back to the last time I saw him, and now that I consider it, I can't believe I wasn't more suspicious."

"Did you get a good look at the men who took them? Make and model of the van? License plate number?" Tim prompted.

"No; I'm sorry. There were only two men, that I saw, but I don't remember anything else. You may be able to pull information from our security surveillance data, though," Tom offered. "Everything from the surveillance cameras during the time in question should be on this disk," Tom shared, happy to cooperate with the investigation. "I had just gotten it together, and was planning on calling NCIS to see if I could help…"

"Thank you so much for your cooperation," Tim said. He took the disk from the man and nodded, nearly dragging Ziva to the door in his haste to get the information back to headquarters.

"May we call you if we have further questions?" Ziva asked, almost as an afterthought.

"Of course," the manager agreed. "Happy to be of assistance."

"Thanks!" Tim added, as he and Ziva headed directly to Abby's lab with the new information.

***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS*** NCIS***

Tony shambled into the forensics lab, determination fueling each step.

"Tony!" Abby exclaimed, as she hurried to his side to assist him.

"You shouldn't be out of bed," Ducky chided. He and Jimmy had been bringing Abby an update.

"I had a memory," Tony told them.

Abby gasped. "Don't hold out on us; spill!"

"Well, it isn't much. Just a fuzzy sort of fragmented image. But Gibbs and I were together, in some sort of warehouse."

"A warehouse," Abby repeated. "Well, it's something. Any idea of what kind of warehouse? Was there anything at all in the background that could give us another clue?"

"I'm a trained investigator, Abs. If there was something else there, I would have told you," Tony replied.

The door chimed and slid open as Tim and Ziva joined the others.

"Abby!" Ziva blurted, unable to contain her excitement. "We have surveillance video of the coffee shop where Gibbs and Tony were taken."

"Hallelujah!" Abby said as she swiped the disk from Tim's hand.

They were interrupted by the sound of Abby's mass spectrometer sounding an alert.

"Voila!" Abby said, leaving the disk on the desk and rushing over to get the results from the Major. "Perfect timing, since we're all here. Europium oxide!"

"What?" Jimmy asked, confused.

"The pink powder we pulled from Tony's clothes is europium oxide," Abby explained, hurrying to her keyboard. "There are different kinds of this particular chemical and it has several commercial uses, but this precise nanopowder is used in red and infrared-sensitive phosphors and in the control rods for nuclear reactors."

"That sounds bad," Tim said.

"Could be, but it could help us find Tony's warehouse that much more quickly. Let me just see which companies in the area produce these particular phosphors and rods, and then see if any have closed any warehouses in the recent past."

"That could take a while," Ziva lamented.

"Science takes time," Abby reminded them.

"Gibbs may not have time," Ducky reminded her.

Abby's chin set with renewed determination. Her eyes stung with the threat of tears. It felt as if her throat had transformed into a fist that was tightening, squeezing off her air supply. Ducky's words hurt. She knew he was only trying to encourage her to keep working, but she knew better than anyone what was at stake. Gibbs would make it. They would find him in time. Save him. It's what he would do for any of them.

***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS*** NCIS***

Ziva and Tim drove to the third potential warehouse on the list Abby provided, only to find another dead end. They had four more addresses on the list.

"Maybe we should go with the last one on the list and work backward. When you lose something, you always find it in the last place you look," Tim suggested.

"That is because when you find it you stop looking, McGee," Ziva explained.

"True," Tim said with a smile, just as his phone started ringing. "It's Abby!"

Ziva could hear Abby's excited voice, even though Tim didn't have the phone's speaker function activated.

"_I found him! I traced the license plate number of the van from the surveillance video, and it was registered to a company that is also on our warehouse list. That has to be it, McGee!"_ She went on to give the address of the company.

The sound of squealing tires echoed through the streets as Ziva turned the car around.

"Have SWAT meet us there," Tim ordered, disconnecting the line. "Simmons Eckhard, on 33rd."

"I heard," Ziva said as she floored it. They had time to make up. Gibbs' life was on the line.

***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS*** NCIS***

Tony found himself alone, yet again. He was so frustrated. He knew the answers were there – just beyond his reach, but he was no more able to retrieve them than he had been before. His every thought came back to Gibbs and all he had done for him. His imagination kept going where he wasn't ready to go, taunting him with thoughts of being too late to save Gibbs. The idea of being the one to let Gibbs down when something minor was at stake was bad enough, but being the one he was counting on to save his life and not coming through was pure anguish to Tony.

Gibbs had always been more than a boss. A friend. A confidante. When they first worked together they had their issues, as is always true when two strong personalities learn to work together. But they had developed a strong friendship, the depth of which the others on the team really had no idea. Abby and Ducky had some clue, but no one really knew the camaraderie between them behind closed doors.

Tony knew he was close to breaking down. He had to have a breakthrough soon, or this uncertainty would kill him. Even though he knew he shouldn't, he strained to go over every detail of what he could remember, hoping to jog something loose that would help him find Gibbs.

***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS*** NCIS***

Ziva and Tim arrived at the scene at the same time as the SWAT team. Ziva signaled them forward, she taking the front and Tim the back, each with back up.

"Clear!" Tim's shout came from the back side of the warehouse.

"Clear!" Ziva shouted almost simultaneously.

It was obvious this is where they had been holding Gibbs. There were ropes and chains, as well as a number of different utilities for torture. Blood marked the area – more than should have been there.

"Darn it!" Tim said, with a frustrated look around.

The warehouse was empty.


	7. Chapter 6

Tim swallowed the bile that arose in his throat. He needed to remain strong. With Tony out of commission, Gibbs needed _him_ now. He willed himself not to vomit. Just imagining the horrors that had been inflicted on Tony and Gibbs was enough to practically disable him, but seeing the evidence of exactly what happened sickened him more than he thought possible.

Ziva looked around the now abandoned warehouse, her keen eye ready to pick up any hint of where Gibbs could be. "Then where did they…?" Ziva asked, turning a circle. "Wait a minute. McGee!"

She walked over to a table in the corner of the room and began to rifle through some paperwork. She held out a map of the north side of Rock Creek Park, on which some notes had been scribbled.

"Check this out," she offered the map for his perusal. The notation in the corner of the map indicated a specific date and time.

"A meeting?" Tim asked.

"We have less than thirty minutes. Let's go!" Ziva ordered as they raced from the scene.

***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS*** NCIS***

The van door opened and Gibbs felt strong arms grab him and yank him from the vehicle. He was bound, gagged and blindfolded, yet had been left lying in the middle of the empty rear of the van, to bounce around unsecured throughout their most recent excursion.

The ground was soft beneath his feet, the snow almost refreshing against his injuries. He took a moment to appreciate the open air of the great outdoors before he was pulled painfully forward. It was achingly cold, and Gibbs' body had been pushed far beyond torture. Despite his mental enjoyment of the fresh air, his exhausted body began to shiver uncontrollably.

He was unceremoniously shoved to his knees. One of his captors tore off Gibbs' blindfold and stood before him, sneer in place.

"You know what your boy is up to right now? He's doing whatever it takes to find out where my wife and kid are in order to save _your_ miserable life. Doesn't that make you all warm inside?" His voice was gruff, and the white steam that came from his mouth was hitting Gibbs directly in the face.

Gibbs ignored him. He found a remote spot in the distance on which to focus and began to tune Groce out.

"This is where it all goes down," Groce continued. "Either your boy will show up with the information I need, or he'll leave with a dead body…if he's lucky."

When he received no response from Gibbs, he continued. "I haven't really decided what I want to do. Maybe I'll kill you both anyway. That could be fun. Which would be most rewarding, killing your boy in front of you, or killing you first and letting the last thing you hear be his screams of denial?" the wicked man asked with a chuckle.

Gibbs continued to pretend he couldn't hear the man, yet tears were wetting his face. He only hoped Groce believed the moisture was from the snow. The last thing he wanted was to give him the satisfaction of showing how much his words affected him.

***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS*** NCIS***

Tim rattled off the new information to Abby as Ziva raced toward the rendezvous point indicated on the map. At least, they hoped that's what was going on. For all they knew for certain, it could be as vacant as the warehouse had been.

Abby punched the new address into her system and pulled up more information for them. "It's in the middle of the woods outside Rock Creek Park."

"Anywhere near where Tony was dumped?" Tim asked.

"Less than a mile from there. Same area, but different location," Abby continued. "Maybe I could hack into satellite images and see if they are there with Gibbs right now."

"Don't do it, Abs," Tim scolded her. "We are almost there. I know we're all desperate to find him, but we'll know for certain in just a few minutes. Don't break any laws. Unless it becomes critical, of course."

"You guys be careful! With the way Ziva drives, SWAT is probably quite a bit behind you," Abby warned.

"We'll be fine," Tim said as he disconnected the phone.

"Abby says the new location is in the same general vicinity as the place where they left Tony, but not in the same place," Tim explained to Ziva.

"Well, that's informative." Ziva's clipped tone belied her anxiety.

"We'll make it, Ziva," Tim assured her.

We _must_. Gibbs is counting on us," Ziva agreed.

***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS*** NCIS***

"Thanks, Director Vance," Abby answered brightly as she disconnected the phone.

Her emotions had been all over the place for a week now, and she was more hopeful at this moment than she could ever remember being in her entire life. Tony was back safe, Tim and Ziva had found Gibbs and everything would soon be back to normal.

"Abby, have you seen Tony?" Jimmy asked as he walked into the lab.

"No, but I really don't have time right now, Jimmy," Abby said quickly. "Ziva and Tim found Gibbs! I'm headed up to MTAC to see if there is anything we can use to legally see what's going on out there. Vance is meeting me there."

"I'll get Ducky," Jimmy said and hurried back out of the room, his original mission forgotten.

Abby grabbed everything she thought she might need, gave Bert a kiss on the cheek, and then bolted from the room as if it were on fire.


	8. Chapter 7

When Ziva brought the car to a stop, she and Tim could already see that, beyond the treeline, there were people in the area shown on the map. They had found the correct location. But was Gibbs there?

Tim pulled out a pair of binoculars and began to study the distance intently. When his gaze fell on Gibbs, on his knees in front of one of his captors, he gasped.

"What is it, McGee?" Ziva asked, grabbing the binoculars from Tim's hand.

"They've got Gibbs. He's here. And alive," Tim filled in, then continued muttering the part he didn't really want to voice, "if that's what you want to call it."

"Come on!"

Ziva allowed the binoculars to fall, the strap securing them to her neck. She pulled her gun from its holster and began to stealthily move into the trees. Tim followed, careful to make as little noise as possible.

"Three," Ziva said almost too softly to be heard. She nodded her head in the direction of the two men on either side of the clearing, guarding the area for the third man who stood before Gibbs.

Tim nodded in agreement and began to make his way toward the man nearest them. Ziva switched her focus between the man on the far side of the clearing and the one directly in front of Gibbs. She waited until Tim reached his target to make her move.

Ziva watched as Tim almost soundlessly pulled his target into the trees. Placing his right hand over the man's weapon, he wrapped his left arm around his neck in a half nelson.

After making certain the third guard was not paying attention, Ziva took action. She stepped, unnoticed, behind the man in front of Gibbs and placed the barrel of her gun to the back of his head.

"Not a word," she whispered menacingly. "NCIS. Drop your weapon," she ordered.

He placed his gun carefully onto the ground beside him. Ziva used her foot to knock it away from him. She made eye contact with Gibbs, and tried to reassure him. It was difficult to see him in this condition.

His initial target subdued, Tim stepped out of the trees. The man on the ground in front of Ziva suddenly shouted, "Ambush!"

Ziva lunged and took down the man, wrestling him to the ground. The third guard, however, was taking aim. Tim started running toward him, as he was too distant to get a shot at him.

The crack of gunfire and sight of the muzzle flash from the man's gun nearly stopped Tim's heart. He saw Ziva fall back, the white ground around her already beginning to be stained red.

"Ziva!" Tim screamed, "Noooooooooo!"

***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS*** NCIS***

Tim didn't allow the circumstances to knock him off course. As soon as he was in range, he raised his weapon and shouted at the man to surrender. The man turned and ran. Tim fired, but missed.

"I am okay," Ziva shouted. "Catch him!"

With one backward glance toward Ziva and Gibbs, Tim gave chase.

Ziva had not been hit. The blood was not hers; it was the man with whom she had been wrestling. She checked for a pulse and found none.

"He's dead," she announced.

Ziva immediately moved to Gibbs' side and began freeing him from his bonds. She pulled out her cell phone and called Abby, telling her they had Gibbs and requesting an ambulance be sent to their location. Ziva disconnected before Abby could ask any questions.

"The question is, did he shoot his boss on purpose, or was it accidental?" Ziva asked, again marveling at the fortuitous way the events had gone down.

A ragged voice answered from her left. "Neither. His shot went wild. I took out Groce," Tony said, as he struggled to catch his breath and staggered into the clearing.

"Tony!" Ziva exclaimed, rushing to his side. She propped him up as best as possible and assisted him, as he made his way to sit on the snowy ground next to Gibbs.

"I was at NCIS, and everyone had taken off. I had started remembering bits and pieces, and then…it all just came back. I remembered that I was supposed to bring information to them here or they would kill you. I didn't have the info, but I couldn't just _not_ show up," Tony explained, not taking his eyes off Gibbs.

"Why didn't you tell someone you were coming?" Ziva scolded him. "You are in no condition to…"

"There was no one in the room and I didn't have time to waste," Tony said. "Period. I made it. Gibbs is fine. You are fine. Probie is fine. We caught the bad guys. Happy ending, Zee-vah."

"Yeah, with you back in the hospital next to Gibbs," Ziva muttered.

"Next to Tony sounds good to me," Gibbs said gruffly. "Thanks for having my back."

"Always," Tony blushed. "Boss, you have to know, I never would have…" Tony began explaining.

"I know, DiNozzo," Gibbs interrupted. "No need for the words. I know."

At that time, Tim stepped into the clearing, leading in a man in hand cuffs as well as several members of SWAT and a crew of paramedics.

"Caught him," Tim explained. "Wouldn't have, though, except someone disabled their van," he said with a pointed look at Tony.

"Yeah, I came in that way. Yanked some wires from the distributor cap," Tony answered.

"Where's the other one?" Gibbs asked.

"Over in the trees. I secured him earlier," Tim filled in.

"Should've waited for SWAT," Gibbs shook his head. "Too risky."

"Nothing is too risky when your life is at stake," Tim didn't back down from Gibbs' hard gaze.

"Thanks, Tim," Gibbs said, his expression softening. "Ziva," he turned his attention to her, but said no more. He ran his hand down her cheek and smiled.


	9. Chapter 8

"_Thank you so much, Agent Gibbs,"_ Tammy Groce said through her tears. _"When I think about all you had to go through at his hands…"_

"Don't worry about it. Better me than you or Sam," Gibbs reminded her.

"_Keep in touch,"_ she added.

"Sure," Gibbs replied as he hung up the hospital phone.

"How'd she take it?" Tony asked.

"About as expected," Gibbs answered. He looked over at Tony and smiled. His face ached with the simple motion.

It had been nearly twenty-four hours since they were brought to the hospital. Tony had been admitted to a semi-private room. When Gibbs was finally ready to be moved from intensive care to a regular room, the other bed in Tony's room had still been available. Gibbs had only just gotten settled in.

"Uh, Boss?" Tony began. "I should probably warn you about something."

"What's that?" Gibbs eyed him suspiciously.

"Abby might have said something about coming by…" Tony hedged.

Gibbs couldn't hide his smirk. Of course Abby would be coming to visit, like a whirlwind or tornado full of well wishes and platitudes and hard-to-follow conversation. Gibbs had truly believed he would never see any of them again. He found himself looking forward to the flurry.

As if on cue, the door burst open and Abby breezed in.

"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs!" She leaned down and kissed his cheek. "It is so good to see you alive and well. Mostly well. Recovering. You know," she rambled. She left several bags sitting in the floor and rushed to Tony's side. "Tony!" She greeted him similarly and then eyed each of them as if they were up to something.

"Don't you guys realize it's less than two weeks until Christmas? And the doctors have said it isn't likely either of you will be officially released for at least a week." She tapped her foot impatiently, as if they should know what she was going on about. "I brought decorations!" she explained as she reached for the handles of two of the bags she had brought with her and lifted them so they could see.

"I have a little Christmas tree, and lots of garland, and popcorn and cranberry ropes – I made those myself, and tinsel and gads of ornaments. And a lovely star for the top of the tree. Of course, the tree isn't here yet. Timmy and Ziva are bringing it later. So I'll have to get started on the rest of the room first, and then pick up when they get here," she trailed off as she began rummaging through the bags.

Tony caught Gibbs' eye and winced, but Gibbs only smiled. Sometimes it takes coming back from something truly horrible to appreciate the love you have all around you.

"Lights!" Abby nearly shouted. "I knew I forgot something."

"It's fine, Abs," Gibbs said softly. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet," she smirked. "I have another surprise for you."

Abby reached into a bag and handed each of the men a package.

"Tony, I know how much you hated walking around in that hospital gown. And I know Gibbs won't want to bare his backside for the world. Correct?" she asked.

"Correct," Gibbs confirmed.

"So I brought pajamas! Christmas pajamas. They're really quite nice. Soft fabric. Really cozy," she smiled.

Tony and Gibbs shared skeptical looks, then shrugged. What did they have to lose?

***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS***NCIS*** NCIS***

Abby paced up and down the hallway of the hospital. She knew it would take Gibbs and Tony a long time to change. They had to take turns using the small bathroom, and both were moving very slowly. She had offered to help them change, but they hadn't taken her offer seriously.

"Abby?" Ziva asked, as she and Tim stepped of the elevator with more stuff. "Is everything okay?"

"Of course," Abby replied. "They're just taking this opportunity to change into less revealing clothes."

Ziva giggled remembering Tony in the backless hospital gown. "Good idea," she confirmed.

"I thought so," Abby agreed.

Tim set the tree down outside the room leaned against the wall next to it.

"I cannot believe it is almost Christmas," Tim commented.

"Hanukkah is already over," Ziva added. "But I know what you mean. This past week has felt like two months that passed in the blink of an eye."

"I haven't even done my Christmas shopping," Abby admitted. "Except for the pajamas, of course."

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of a yell from inside the room.

"Abby!" Tony bellowed.

"Oh, time to go in!" Abby said excitedly.

The three visitors filed into the hospital room. Abby smiled. Ziva giggled. Tim just shook his head. How Abby managed to accomplish this was confounding.

Gibbs and Tony sat in their respective beds, each sporting brand new Christmas pajamas. Gibbs was dressed as Santa Claus, and Tony as an elf.

"Guys!" Abby protested. "You have to wear the hats!"

THE END


End file.
